A Locked Up Heart.

Chapter three - This Is Why I Don't Socialize.

Finally we made it to my dorm.

I knocked...

I waited...

I begrudgingly pulled my keys out of my purse.

"Honey, I'm home." I shout into the quiet flat. No response.

"Sherlock be nice! We have company." I say as we walk into the flat closing the door behind us. We walk into the living room and I sigh as I see Sherlock is in his mind palace.

"Is he okay?" Richard asks.

"Uh yeah he does that sometimes..." I say as Richard awkwardly stands in the doorway. "Come in and sit down. I just have to change." I say limping to my room. Richard takes a tentative seat on the chair across from Sherlock. I go into my room and change into a different set of clothes. When I come out I see that Sherlock is still dead to the world. Richard looks very uncomfortable.

"Are you sure he is okay?" In response I grab a blanket from off the couch and throw it over Sherlock's head.

"Better?" I ask.

"A bit yeah." He says scratching his neck.

"Tea?" I suggest.

"Sure." he responds.

"So." I inquired. Heading off into the kitchen. "What made you want to become an actor?" I put the kettle on and wait for his reply. After a long pause, Richard replies from the other room with a thinly veiled hatred.

"I realized that nobody would accept the true me... I've been acting my entire life."

As I was ill prepared to have a conversation that deep, with a man I had just met, I asked jokingly.

"Oh. So it's not the fame that attracted you?"

"Not really..." He said sadly. "So why did you choose to major in psychology?"

"Erm. That's a long story." I say, thinking about the man that murdered my adoptive parents.

"I have time." Richard replies yet again being flirty.

At that moment Sherlock awakes from his Mind Palace-ing. He rips the blanket off his head.

"Keyland?!" He yells. Running at Richard. "What did you do to her?!" he panics.

"Sherlock I'm right here!" I say returning from the kitchen. Sherlock has Richard hanging in the air by the collar of his shirt. When Sherlock sees me, he drops Richard back into his chair and runs over to stand between me and Richard.

"Who the heck is this?!" He hissed.

"Erm, Sherlock meet Richard Brooke. Richard, Sherlock." I say awkwardly from behind Sherlock.

Sherlock gives Richard a death glare.

"So... how long have you two been together." Richard asks breaking the awkward silence.

"It's been a month or so." Sherlock says warily. I start laughing. Sherlock turns to me and watches as I continue to laugh clinging on to his arm.

"What? What did I say?" he asks confusedly.

"Sherlock...He means...Together together." I say in-between my laughing fits.

"oh OH! Oh no we aren't together in that way... uh erm no." he says awkwardly.

Sherlock looks a bit offended that i am still laughing but this situation is probably the most awkward one I've ever had to deal with. When i finally stop laughing. I break the silence again.

"I'm really sorry Richard but Sherlock and I need to study. We have this huge test tomorrow." I say kind of lamely.

"Oh yeah I understand." he says dejectedly.

"I guess we will see you in class then." I say.

"Erm yeah." He says walking carefully past Sherlock to get to me. "It was good to meet you Keyland" He says kissing me on the cheek. I watch as he leaves through the door. The door closes and I feel Sherlock scrutinizing my face.

"You are blushing" He says.

"No shit, Sherlock." I retort.

"Do you like him?" He grimaced.

Instead of responding I turn to him and on my tiptoes I kiss his cheek.

"Deduce that." I say limping into my room. When I turn back to close my door I see that Sherlock is beet red.

"Who's blushing now." I say to myself as I close my door.